Indoor Air Quality IAQ Blog

By Indoor Air Quality Solutions | October 22, 2017 at 01:55 PM EDT | No Comments

After the recent hurricanes we have found ourselves faced with the misclassification of rain water from the hurricane as Category 3 water (Cat 3). The classification of water is defined by the IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration as either Category 1, 2, or 3.

After recent named storms many restoration contractors have been opportunistically categorizing rainwater from the storms as Category 3 water. This benefits the restoration contractor. With the classification of Cat 3 water the contractors can now remove substantially more building material that would otherwise be necessary.

To be clear there will always be Cat 3 water with named storms and flooding. However, the recent abuse of the Cat 3 water is simply a means of extending the area of loss and increasing the cost to restore. Don’t get me wrong here. There are times when it is far more cost effective to bulk remove building material to accelerate the restoration process. However, there are times when building materials that were wet and then dried, and then classified as Cat 3 with the recommendation of removal. Double dipping.

For example, a 5-story condo building that had no surface water flooding and only wind driven rain entering the sliding glass doors. The areas that were wet were quickly dried. The restoration contractor then classified all wind driven rain at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors as Cat 3, grossly contaminated. The recommendation was to remove the lower 2 feet of drywall from all the condos. There was no supporting evidence that the water was grossly contaminated. The vast majority of the units were occupied during and after the hurricane. The damage was limited to very small and localized areas at the sliding glass doors. Yet the restoration contractor recommended the full evacuation of the building so the “Cat 3 Grossly Contaminated” drywall could be removed.

So how could the classification of water be so abused? It’s all in the IICRC Category 3 definition. It’s a wording issue. As you read below the definition clearly states that Cat 3 water can include wind driven rain from hurricanes. That doesn’t mean that wind driven rain is Cat 3, just that like all water it could be Cat 3. To establish the presence of Cat 3 water samples of the suspected area of the 3rd floor drywall would need to be collected. The method used could either be by culturing a sample for bacteria or with the use of ATP. Either way the presence of Cat 3 water at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors would need to be confirmed.

Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. Examples of Category 3 water can include, but are not limited to: sewage; waste line backflows that originate from beyond the trap regardless of visible content or color; all other forms of contaminated water resulting from flooding from seawater; rising water from rivers or streams; and other contaminated water entering or affecting the indoor environment, such as wind driven rain from hurricanes, tropical storms, or other weather related events if they carry trace levels of contaminants (e.g., pesticides or toxic organic substances).

Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then becomes heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems and crop irrigation.

Collecting and using rainwater can be a great way to conserve resources. Some people collect and use rainwater for watering plants, cleaning, bathing, or drinking. The issue with the collection of rainwater is the method of collection and storage. If rainwater is collected from a roof for example it can contain contaminants that accumulate on the roof.

The rain itself isn’t Category 3. Rainwater is predominantly evaporated water from a variety of sources such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. According to IICRC S500, atmospheric rainwater is defined as Category 1.

“Category 1: Category 1 water originates from a sanitary water source and does not pose substantial risk from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation exposure. Examples of Category 1 water sources can include, but are not limited to: broken water supply lines; tub or sink overflows with no contaminants; appliance malfunctions involving water-supply lines; melting ice or snow; falling rainwater; broken toilet tanks, and toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or additives.”

Rainwater is Category 1 Water. Therefore, rainwater associated with tropical storms or hurricanes is predominantly evaporated water from a variety of sources and according to IICRC S500, falling rainwater is defined as Category 1.

The restoration contractors defining wind-driven rain as Category 3 water either haven’t read the S500 or are specifically abusing their misinterpretation to their benefit. As shown above the IICRC S500 clearly defines rainwater as Category 1 and clearly states that Category 3 water can include wind driven rain from hurricanes. I think that is pretty clear even to the layman.

For the wind driven rain to be categorized as Category 3, the water must have been grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed.

If rain is to be classified as Cat 3 water we’re all in trouble. How many times do we see a TV weather forecaster leaning into the wind driven rain of a hurricane as he or she blurts out the weather? Wind driven rain in Florida takes place virtually every day somewhere.

Clearly there are times when wind driven rain can be classified as Cat 3. The IICRC recognized that and included the possibility in the standard. To be Cat 3 the wind driven rain must be contaminated from something that was grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents. There is also the possibility that Category 1 or 2 water deteriorated to Category 3 water over time. The IICRC S500 addresses that possibility as well.

“Category 1 water can deteriorate to Category 2 or 3. Category 1 water that flows into an uncontaminated building does not constitute an immediate change in the category.” “However, Category 1 water that flows into a contaminated building can constitute an immediate change in the category.”

Clearly the interior of an occupied condo is not a contaminated building.

“Category 2: Category 2 water contains significant contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if contacted or consumed by humans. Category 2 water can contain potentially unsafe levels of microorganisms or nutrients for microorganisms. as well as other organic or inorganic matter {chemical or biological). Examples of category 2 water can include, but are not limited to: discharge from dishwashers or washing1 machines; overflows from washing machines; overflows from toilet bowls on the room side of the trap with some urine but no feces; seepage due to hydrostatic pressure; broken aquariums and punctured water beds.

Category 2 water can deteriorate to Category 3. Once microorganisms become wet from the water intrusion, depending upon the length of time that they remain wet and the temperature, they can begin to grow in numbers and can change the category of the water.”

Category 1 and 2 water can to deteriorate in category. That fact remains undisputed. However, the method of establishing the category of water appears to be the issue. It would appear that the opportunistic restoration contractors are assuming that the wind driven rain water is automatically Category 3 or the length of time that the Cat 1 or 2 water remained wet deteriorated the Cat 1 or 2 water to Category 3.

The reality is both are nothing more than an unproven hypothesis. To establish the Category of water that is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. The assessor or restoration contractor would have to confirm the if water has trace levels of contaminants (e.g., pesticides or toxic organic substances).

In the example provided earlier we talked about a 5-story condo building that was reportedly “grossly contaminated” by Category 3 hurricane rain. No confirmation of the category was provided. There was however a substantial estimate for drywall removal and sanitization of the grossly contaminated condos that were continuously occupied during and after the storm.

We provided a second opinion on the property and conducted onsite ATP sampling of the reportedly Category 3 contaminated drywall. We used the Bio-Reveal Protocol for Sampling of Category 1, 2 and 3 Water Loss. The Bio-reveal® bio-contamination detection system is designed to evaluate the level of surface cleanliness and sanitized hygiene in the indoor environment. This system will not detect specific strains of bacterial, viral or other micro-organisms, rather will measure and document the total surface or liquid conditions where these types of pathogenic organisms may be detected or harbored as a result of dirty, unhygienic or where direct impaction of Category 1, 2 or 3 water contamination may have occurred. Additionally, the Bio-reveal® bio-contamination detection system can be used to generally quantify the total bacterial concentrations of Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 water as referenced by the IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration.

All areas sampled were found to be well below the “Final hygiene goal for water loss restoration or remediation of building materials or contents to be salvaged.” The condo owners did not evacuate and the drywall was not removed. The total savings to the building were significant.

The trend of categorizing hurricane rain or wind driven rain as Category 3 needs to be nipped in the bud. Do not allow a restoration contractor or mold assessor to declare rain water damage from a hurricane as Category 3 just because it came from the sky during a hurricane. This assumed gross contamination only benefits the restoration contractor as it substantially increases their fee.

I hope this helped to clarify the Category of a water loss and prevented the unnecessary removal of building material that could otherwise be restored at a lessor fee.

EPISODE 542: Eugene C. Cole, DrPH – Research to Practice: Water Damage, Sewage, Mold & Public HealthThis week we look forward to our interview with Eugene C. Cole DrPH. Dr. Gene Cole is Director of Research for LRC Indoor Testing & Research, Cary, NC; and formerly Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. He has 35 years of research experience, with a primary focus on the ecology of indoor and work environments, with special emphasis on identification and reduction of pollutant reservoirs and sources, bioaerosols, human exposure assessment and control, product evaluation, cleaning and restoration, mold and sewage remediation, and biocides.
Since 2000, he has continued to conduct research on the relationship between the use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products in the home, and antibiotic resistance; as well as on the effectiveness of cleaning to reduce the transmission of disease agents in schools. He has also worked with national and international organizations to address environmental health and infectious disease concerns such as medical waste management in Central Europe and South East Asia, hygiene promotion in Africa, and healthy homes and buildings in the U.S. and Asia.
Dr. Cole is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), and a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He holds a Master of Science in Public Health Microbiology and a Doctor of Public Health in Biohazard Science and Occupational Health, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:00:00 -0400EPISODE 541: Jim Harris, Sr. – Chairman & Founder Concepts4 & Janitronics Co-founder & Chairman of CIRI – Cleaning, Success & ScienceThis week we look forward to our interview with Jim Harris, Sr., a consultant, trainer, corporate executive, and entrepreneur. Jim has had a productive and successful career in the cleaning industry for 45 years. Jim started Janitronics Facility Services in 1972 as a local cleaning service. The company has since evolved into a seven branch, comprehensive cleaning, maintenance and management service, but has a new approach: Thinking small; they specialize in creating, and sustaining a healthy indoor environment utilizing state of the art, effective ‘cleaning systems’ based on validated cleaning science research. Mr. Harris is also co-founder and chairman of the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI). CIRI is the clearinghouse for unbiased, peer-reviewed technical information and research about the science of cleaning or restoration of the indoor environment.
Jim Harris has done what others have only dreamed of while building a profitable company. His company was built first and foremost on the science of cleaning. The company uses state-of-the-art equipment and processes to clean for health. To increase productivity, Janitronics developed its’ SysteamCleaning (TM) concept, utilizing state of the art workflow based on systems thinking and high performance standards. In 2000 the leadership of the company completed a succession transition to Jim Harris, Jr. and is headquartered in Albany, N.Y. They are not just dumping wastebaskets and cleaning restrooms. They pride themselves on cleaning a work environment to maintain a high health standard; focused on properly removing bio-contaminants and airborne particles. Janitronics has been successful in transforming cleaning into a science.

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:56:00 -0400EPISODE 541: Jim Harris, Sr. – Chairman & Founder Concepts4 & Janitronics Co-founder & Chairman of CIRI – Cleaning, Success & ScienceThis week we look forward to our interview with Jim Harris, Sr., a consultant, trainer, corporate executive, and entrepreneur. Jim has had a productive and successful career in the cleaning industry for 45 years. Jim started Janitronics Facility Services in 1972 as a local cleaning service. The company has since evolved into a seven branch, comprehensive cleaning, maintenance and management service, but has a new approach: Thinking small; they specialize in creating, and sustaining a healthy indoor environment utilizing state of the art, effective ‘cleaning systems’ based on validated cleaning science research. Mr. Harris is also co-founder and chairman of the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI). CIRI is the clearinghouse for unbiased, peer-reviewed technical information and research about the science of cleaning or restoration of the indoor environment.
Jim Harris has done what others have only dreamed of while building a profitable company. His company was built first and foremost on the science of cleaning. The company uses state-of-the-art equipment and processes to clean for health. To increase productivity, Janitronics developed its’ SysteamCleaning (TM) concept, utilizing state of the art workflow based on systems thinking and high performance standards. In 2000 the leadership of the company completed a succession transition to Jim Harris, Jr. and is headquartered in Albany, N.Y. They are not just dumping wastebaskets and cleaning restrooms. They pride themselves on cleaning a work environment to maintain a high health standard; focused on properly removing bio-contaminants and airborne particles. Janitronics has been successful in transforming cleaning into a science.

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:56:00 -0400EPISODE 540: Rachel Adams, PhD – Research Scientist at UC Berkeley & California Department of Public Health Research to Practice – Moisture Measurement and MoldThis week we look forward to another Research to Practice presentation from one of the leading IAQ researchers in the world Rachel Adams, PhD. Dr. Adams is a microbiologist with a deep curiosity for how microbes work and how microbial interactions shape the environment around them, including our homes and our health. She is a Microbiologist with the California Department of Public Health and a Project Scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Department of Plant & Microbial Biology. Dr. Adams has expertise in using sequence-based technology to study microbial exposures in indoor environments, has developed methods to improve the identification of microbes, and has interest in understanding the consequences of indoor microbial exposures on human health. Dr. Adams holds a B.S. from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from Stanford University and is a member of the Mycological Society of America and the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 16:54:00 -0400EPISODE 539: Christine Oliver, M.D. – Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA – Odors, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and More an MD’s Perspective (Flashback Friday: Original Air Date 4-7-2017 | Episode 455)This week we Flashback to one of our more popular shows with Christine Oliver, MD. Dr. Oliver joined us to discuss Odors and Chemical Sensitivities about 2 years ago. This was prior to our first YouTube videos so we are going to add some graphics and photos this week. Dr. Oliver is President of Occupational Health Initiatives, Inc. in Brookline, MA. She is an Associate Physician in the Department of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care Division) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Board certified in occupational medicine and in internal medicine. Dr. Oliver’s primary specialty is Occupational and Environmental Medicine, with an emphasis on occupational and environmental lung disease. At the MGH she evaluates and cares for patients with occupational and environmental illness and disease, including occupational asthma, interstitial lung disease, building-related health problems, and chemical sensitivities. Dr. Oliver has done research and published in the area of occupational lung disease and she has testified before the United States Congress with regard to work-related health issues and risks.
For the past three decades an important focus of Dr. Oliver’s consulting work has been indoor air quality and related health effects. She has lectured and published on this subject and she has been actively involved in indoor air quality assessments in a variety of settings. These include health care facilities, courthouses and other government buildings, schools, and commercial office buildings. Together with industrial hygienists, engineers, and human systems specialists she has worked to identify, characterize, and resolve air quality problems and their related health effects. In 2009 she was a participant and presenter in the ASTM Johnson Conference on the standardization of mold response procedures. An important component of Dr. Oliver’s clinical work has been in the area of fragrances and their related health effects, including causation and/or exacerbation of chemical sensitivities. She has lectured on these topics, counseled patients and their families with regard to steps that can be taken to identify and remove fragranced products from their environment, and advocated for a fragrance-free policy in the clinic in which she works.

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:50:00 -0400EPISODE 537: Parham Azimi, PhD – Research Associate Illinois Institute of Technology – New Research on Particulate Matter & MortalityThis week we welcome Parham Azimi, PhD to Iaqradio+. Dr Azimi is a research associate in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology. Much of his research work has focused on fate, transport, and control of indoor aerosols of indoor and ambient origin, chronic health impacts of fine particles in various microenvironments, and energy performance of residential and commercial buildings. Parham is a member of ASHRAE Technical Committee 2.4, UL 2904 Standard Technical Panel, International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ) and American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR).
Dr. Azimi’s work came to our attention recently when we were sent a copy of a recent paper he worked on with Brent Stephens, PhD called “A framework for estimating the US mortality burden of fine particulate matter exposure attributable to indoor and outdoor microenvironments”. Dr. Stephens joined us on March 13, 2015 for a great show on The Intersection of Building Science, Energy Efficiency & IAQ.

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 16:46:00 -0500EPISODE 536 - Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D. – Part 1 of our series with the Mold Warrior (Flashback Friday: Original Air Date 4-25-2008)Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker first joined Iaqradio as a guest back in April of 2008. Since then we have welcomed him back once a year or so to update us on his research into Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Today we are going to replay our first show with Dr. Shoemaker and we hope to have him join us again soon for another update. Following his bio we have listed all our shows with him over the years.
Ritchie Shoemaker, M. D., is a recognized leader in patient care, research and education pioneer in the field of biotoxin related illness. While illness acquired following exposure to the interior environment of water-damaged buildings (WDB) comprises the bulk of Shoemaker’s daily practice, other illnesses caused by exposure to biologically produced toxins are quite similar in their “final common pathway.” What this means is that while the illness might begin acutely with exposure to fungi, spirochetes, apicomplexans, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, for example, in its chronic form, each of these illnesses has similar symptoms, lab findings, and Visual Contrast Sensitivity findings. Taken together the inflammatory illness from each of these diverse sources is known as a Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.
We do not have a blog for Dr. Shoemakers first few shows. He joined us before Cliff started doing a weekly blog. It may take a few time listening to make sense of everything he is proposing. It was very helpful when he sent me the Bio-toxin Pathway chart to follow. Print this out and have it handy while listening to his shows and it will help you immensely.

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:43:00 -0500EPISODE 535: Oliver Threlfall - CEO Steamatic of Australia - A Unique Perspective on how the Global Restoration Big Dogs Play!Over the past 30 years Oliver Threlfall has been totally dedicated to the cleaning and restoration industry. He studied biology at Deakin University- before commencing Steamatic in Melbourne, Victoria in 1986. He then completed IICRC (The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) training in various modules and in addition took Microbial and Bioaerosol remediation training under the guidance of Dr. Tullis and Dr. Thulman of Duke University. Steamatic was formed in Australia in 1986 following requests from underwriters to establish proven claims reduction services that had been demonstrated overseas. They then transformed an established cleaning company into a specialist cleaning technologies firm. Oliver is the Steamatic of Australia CEO which makes him a very busy and connected man "down under".

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 15:21:00 -0500EPISODE 534: Corbett Lunsford - The Home Performance Worskshop & The Worlds Highest Performance Tiny House on Wheels!Corbett Lunsford, wasn't a home performance expert- he used to play piano for ballerinas. In 2008, he learned a few things very quickly: construction is unbelievably messy, most pros are over-rushed and under-paid, and homeowners end up suffering in small ways, for their entire lives in a house. None of this has to be so- we can opt out of the whole thing with performance testing. His goal is to package building performance so it can easily be understood and used by professionals and consumers alike, for better buildings worldwide. In 2009, he started teaching pros through the Building Performance Workshop and he has hosted over 300 YouTube videos and 80 interviews for the Building Performance Podcast. He also wrote the book Home Performance Diagnostics: the Guide to Advanced Testing, and developed the APT Reports software tool.
In 2016 he and his wife Grace built the world's highest performance tiny house on wheels, the #TinyLab, and toured the US before settling down in Atlanta, Georgia. Along the way, they created the first TV series about home performance, Home Diagnosis, which airs on public TV across the U.S. Corbett, Grace, and their new baby went on a 13,000 mile, 34-city U.S. Tour from April 2016-January 2017 in the world's highest performance tiny house on wheels, the #TinyLab. Their mission was simple: to revolutionize the home market by teaching consumers and contractors alike to use scientific testing to prove the work gets done to quality standards. Each city on the Proof Is Possible Tour was sponsored by a local company that shared the passion for empowering homeowners and changing the game. Along the way certain cities shared in filming of the couple's TV show Home Diagnosis. They invited over 7,000 strangers into their home on the tour, and now live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 15:32:00 -0500EPISODE 533: Open Mic - Topics for this week include: Current Events, Certification, Standards, Training, Networking & ResourcesToday we are going to try something new and if it works we will make it a regular part of the line up. We are going to throw out some topics, invite a few friends and have a discussion about IAQ, disaster restoration and building science. We also encourage listeners to text in your questions or comments. Today we expect to hear from Jay Stake, Eric Shapiro, Carl Grimes, John Downey and Pete Consigli. The topics we will throw out for discussion will come from the list in this week’s show title. We have some of the leaders of the industry join us every week so lets take advantage of that and start a conversation.

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 15:56:00 -0500EPISODE 533: Open Mic - Topics for this week include: Current Events, Certification, Standards, Training, Networking & ResourcesToday we are going to try something new and if it works we will make it a regular part of the line up. We are going to throw out some topics, invite a few friends and have a discussion about IAQ, disaster restoration and building science. We also encourage listeners to text in your questions or comments. Today we expect to hear from Jay Stake, Eric Shapiro, Carl Grimes, John Downey and Pete Consigli. The topics we will throw out for discussion will come from the list in this week’s show title. We have some of the leaders of the industry join us every week so lets take advantage of that and start a conversation.